About BiblioPolit

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

It seems like our justice department has its hands full with people who do not believe in justice, but rather personal expediency!

Recently, a magistrate in Kimberley, K Padayachee, as usual decided that it was 16:00 and that she does not work after that hour. What was unusual was that she scrapped 13 cases off the court roll, effectively freeing all the people related to these cases. She set these people free because she did not want to work after 16:00. No, she did not roll these cases over to the next day as before! She set these people free!

These cases included 2 rapists, a robber, stock thieves and other men accused of breaking and entering! Police had been searching for one of the rapists since 2000 and now he was set free without ceremony! The other rapist is accused of raping a 16-year-old girl.

As a citizen of this country, I call upon the justice department to deal harshly with this so-called magistrate, since she has trampled upon the law of this country, while not for a moment thinking of the consequences of her actions. It is clear that justice is not her main concern, but rather a day job. She should rather have sought for a job where there would be no stress and leaving at 16:00 would make no difference. As a magistrate she was charged with serving this country justly and effectively, yet she does not want to serve, act justly or be effective in her handling of court cases!

She should be fired and disbarred from practising any law in this country ever again. Added to that she should be charged with obstruction of justice in each of the 13 cases she scrapped. In the case that any of those that were released commits a further crime after release, she should be charged as an accomplice to the crimes committed.

Those who sit on the bench in this country must stop treating the bench as simply a job or a seat of power. Humility is needed on the bench. It should be seen as a great honour to serve this country and its law. This is not the place to prove how powerful you are! On the bench, the country, its people and the rule of law is represented. No more!

The justice department must remove all those on the bench who do not serve in their positions with pride and honour with humility!